Threefold is a peer-to-peer network of network, storage an compute capacity for an upgraded internet, laying the foundation for a more sustainable, smart, and sovereign digital world where everyone can participate and prosper.
All the ideas and content created for this concept are opensource and stored in github
A group of volunteers and the ThreeFold Foundation maintain these repositories.
The ThreeFold Foundation (ThreeFold DMCC in DUbai) is a participant in the bigger ThreeFold movement, the purpose of the movement is to bring the world a truly peer-to-peer internet.
We acknowledge and support the many people and organizations around the world who bring crucial support to the growth and adoption of the ThreeFold_Grid.
TFTech is a software tech company and is a major contributor to the software as used on the TFGrid.
TFTech does not farm and ThreeFold Tokens and has no impact or does not give any direction to anything happening on the ThreeFold Grid or in relation to TFTokens.
TFTech is the company who creates a lot of the opensource software as is used in the TFGrid. TFTech is also a contributor to the TF Foundation in the form of content or promotion, there is no legal connection in place.
TFTech business model is to sell licenses and certify TFGrid farmers if that is what they require.
TF TECH NV, a Belgian limited liability company, having its registered office at Antwerpse Steenweg 19, B-9080 Lochristi, Belgium, registered with the Belgian Crossroads Bank of Enterprises under company number 0712.845.674 (RLP Gent, district Gent)
Non-for-profit organizations are types of organizations that do not earn profits for its owners. All of the money earned by or donated to a non-for-profit organization is used in pursuing the organization's objectives and keeping it running. Employees or contributors can be paid for the services provided.
In the case of TFF following remarks might be useful
- Many non for profits get a legal status by the government to not have to pay tax, in our case the foundation is in Dubai, there is no Tax implication in Dubai as such we didn't need this status or certification.
- TFF has been funded by its original founders by means of loans or investment in kind or tokens, this money can be returned to the founders whenever cashflow allows (which is not the case yet).
- TFF directors/shareholders do everything they can to only operate out of the best interests of the ThreeFold Project.
- A project is under way to officialize the structure with strict governance e.g. a company called ThreeFold VZW has been created in Belgium with official governance around non for profit structure. This company is not used yet. Other alternatives are being researched at this moment (Aug 2020).
The ThreeFold_Grid is a new, global neutral and sustainable network of IT infrastructure. On this Grid, IT capacity is indexed registered on the TFChain for easy discovery by purchasers.
This Internet capacity is produced and allocated locally - similar to the way electricity and other utilities are purchased today. This allows any digital service or application provider to host their services and applications in proximity to the end user leading to significantly greater performance, a lower price point and better margins. This is both more cost effective and green.
## IT Capacity
- IT = Information Technology.
- IT Capacity is resource availability for running any IT Workloads
- Examples of IT Workloads which can run on the TFG are
- web applications
- archiving of data
- generic storage (e.g. using the S3 storage interface)
- container workloads (e.g. using the Kubernetes interface)
The ThreeFold Token is a digital Token which allows anyone to buy and sell IT Capacity on the TF Grid. This token only gets issued by the TFChain if a TF Pool gets connected to the TF Grid.
- The TFNode runs the TF Operating System and TFChain (TFC).
## Cloud Units
Units of IT capacity as sold from the TF Grid to Users.
## ThreeFold Farmer
A ThreeFold Farmer is any organization or person who invests in a ThreeFold Farming Pool and connects this capacity to the ThreeFold_Grid.
As a result of Farming, i.e. creating additional capacity, ThreeFold_Tokens are automatically created by the ThreeFold Chain.
Farmers can cultivate both managed and/or unmanaged capacity.
Farmers receive TFTs
- as part of owning the TF Farming Pool (tf_farming)
- as part of selling capacity from the TF Farming Pool (cultivating)
Most TF Farmers use a ThreeFold Cooperative to become active because it hugely simplifies the process and gives them often better pricing to purchase the Farming Pool as well as connecting the Farming Pool to the internet.
The ThreeFold Farmer is the only party who owns the TF Farming Pool.
Unmanaged IT Capacity can exist everywhere; in people’s home, in mobile telephone masts, in utility cabinets, next to railways or motorways, anywhere where internet lines meet electrical outlets, any IT Hosting or Datacenter Facility. This capacity is deployed to the TF Grid and has no people involved to manage its operations (apart from the physical and network aspects). Farmers have no access to the TFNodes purchased. They can only use the capacity produced in the exact same way as any other user, i.e. through the TFChain, in a secure private and neutral way, equally applicable to all.
Unmanaged capacity provides the following 3 basic services
- Storage Capacity = backend storage services which can be used as backend for more high level storage services like S3
- Compute Capacity = backend compute capacity which can be used as backend for more high level compute services like Kubernetes.
- Network Gateway Services: integration with ZeroTier network, HTTP(s) reverse proxy, DNS services, TCP Portforwarding.
These basic services are ordered through the TFChain only.
SLA's (service level agreements) cannot be be guaranteed on Unmanaged Capacity and as such not registered in the TFChain.
## Certified Capacity
Capacity which received certification as organized by ThreeFold Tech.
## Managed Capacity
Managed capacity is capacity that sits in a datacenter or other controlled environment where people operate and maintain supervision of the capacity connected to the TF Grid and published in the TF Directory. SLA (Service Level Agreements) are provided on this capacity like uptime, guaranteed bandwidth, response times, ...
means that any Deliverable has successfully completed the Acceptance process set forth in Section 4. Such Acceptance may be either explicit or implicit, i.e. in the absence of an explicit Rejection.
means all manuals, instructions and other documents (whether in hard copy, soft copy or web-based form) relating to, or necessary for, the use, operation or maintenance of the Deliverables, together with all enhancements, corrections, modifications and amendments to such documents that are furnished to Customer under this Agreement.
means the explicit rejection of Deliverables by Customer, provided that the following cumulative conditions have all been completed:
the Rejection has been notified by Customer to Company within the Acceptance Period (i.e. at the latest on the last day of the Acceptance Period);
Customer has returned to Company all rejected Deliverables immediately after the Rejection notice;
Any rejection that does not meet both aforementioned cumulative conditions shall not qualify as a Rejection and shall be deemed an implicit Acceptance.
means any Sales Order generated electronically by Company to allow the Customer to order, including the details specified by Customer in the checkout of the Company website, or any document that the Parties mutually agree upon as the vehicle for procuring Hardware, Software and/or Services pursuant to this Agreement.
means the open source software connecting the Hardware to the ThreeFold network, all in machine readable, object code form, together with all enhancements, modifications, corrections and amendments thereto.
means the technical requirements for, and performance standards of, the Deliverables as set forth in the Sales Order or Documentation provided to Customer.
